Absences Add Up: How School Attendance Influences Student Success

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In this August 2014 publication, researchers from Attendance Works explore the relationship between absenteeism and student achievement. Using data obtained from the National Assessment for Educational Progress administered in 2013, the authors find that students with higher rates of absenteeism scored lower on the national assessment. In fact, the data show that—in both reading and math—when students missed three or more days prior to taking the test, they scored an average of one to two grade levels below their peers. The researchers also note that chronic absenteeism during a student’s early years is predictive of the likelihood that a child will be held back in third grade. It is also correlated with higher drop out rates and lower rates of college completion. These findings reinforce a growing body of research identifying improved attendance as integral to closing the achievement gap, particularly in low-income communities where students are more likely to miss school.